The Mission of Autism and Scouting is to develop programs, projects, support and resources for all scouts on the Autism spectrum, their families, caregivers and scout leaders that promote acceptance, inclusion, support skills for life and support self-advocacy within a scouting program. We support all scouting programs in the US and around the world.

We invite you to come follow our shows and share the word about our new stations with your family, friends and social networks. The more we can spread the word, the better of a collaborative community we can develop!So far, the response has been wonderful for both stations. We are glad so many people like us and are interested in tuning in to see what we have in store for the future. If you missed our first broadcast or any of our other shows you can always listen to us on demand in our archive section. Here is a link directly to our Welcome to Autism Scouting Radio broadcast.We also wanted to provide a link to our Welcome to Autism Empowerment Radio broadcast because this is a really great show that explains who Autism Empowerment is (we’re a 501(c) non-profit public charity), what our mission is, what our four foundational pillars of Accept, Enrich, Inspire and Empower mean and the 30 minute show gives a great overall at look at where we’ve been in the past year, what we’re doing and where we’re going. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/autismempowerment/2012/06/14/welcome-to-autism-empowerment-radioI was also interviewed by Karen on Autism Empowerment Radio on July 5th with an overview of the Autism and Scouting program. You can check that interview out at:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/autismempowerment/2012/07/05/autism-empowerments-autism-and-scouting-program-overviewToday, we wanted to give you a preview of our next installment of Autism and Scouting Radio which will be on Wednesday, July 11th from 10:00 - 10:30 am PST . Our special guest interview will be with Mr. Anthony Mei who runs the Working with Scouts with disAbilities website (http://www.wwswd.org/) and is the Chairperson for the Boy Scouts of America disAbilities Awareness Challenge at the 2013 Boy Scout National Jamboree.Tony is an amazing lifelong scouter and has dedicated so much of his life to supporting scouting programs, providing training and supporting scouts with disAbilities. Tony as the National Chair for the Boy Scouts of America on Special Needs has done an amazing job in understanding the need for additional training for leaders who work with youth on the Autism Spectrum. The National Council looks to Tony for advice and leadership in its national policy in training and working with youth with special needs. Here is just a bit of his impressive background: Tony started out in Boy Scouts in 1959 in New York State where he made First Class in 1961, from 1961 to 1964 he was in the BSA Troop that was in Saudi Arabia where he made Eagle in 1963. Tony was the first US scout to ever earn a Merit Badge from a Saudi Merit Badge counselor. In 1965, he founded an Explorer post in Rome, Italy and served as the first Post President. After a few years away, from 1972 - 1975 helped support both the pack in Missouri as well as the Ozark Council wherever he was needed. When his son Andrew was old enough to join scouting in 1984 that was when Tony went into Scouting full force and has never looked back. From 1984 - present, he has filled the following roles within scouting:

Here is a list of scouting awards. Eagle Scout (1963), Ad Altare Dei (1963), Cub Scouter Training (1988), Boy Scouter Training (1990), Webelos Leader Training (1993), OA Ordeal (1993), Scoutmaster Award of Merit (1994), Scoutmaster Key (1996), OA Brotherhood (1996), Community Organization Award (1996), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Award (1996), Award of Merit (1997), James E. West Fellow (2005), Commissioner Arrowhead (2006), Commissioner Key (2007), Distinguished Commissioner (2007), Silver Beaver (2008), Doctor of Commissioner Science (2009). Tony over the years has developed and taught scores of classes for the Boy Scouts of America in regards to working with Special Needs kids and he is currently putting the final touches on a training on National College of Commissioners “Special Needs Scouting - Autism Spectrum” which takes information from a number of sources including Autism Empowerment’s Autism and Scouting program. Tony has also served in the US Army as an Army Reserve Officer for eight years and he dedicated 32 years to the US Army Corps of Engineers. In his spare time he has served on the Board of Directors of the ARC of Marin County (Northern California) since 1982, has worked with a number of special needs groups and is a coach for the Special Olympics.

We will talk about how the BSA supports scouts on the Autism spectrum, what the plans are for the 2013 National Jamboree and talk with Tony about his role with Working with Scouts with disAbilities. It will be a great show to kick off our first live guest. You will not want to miss this show. On show day, Wednesday, July 11th, 2012 from 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. PST, there are a couple of ways to tune in:1) You can call in live at (347) 855-8132.2) You can go to the following link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/autismandscoutingradio/2012/07/11/tony-mei-and-working-with-scouts-with-disabilitiesIf you miss the initial broadcast, it will still be available on demand at the above link. We are also developing an expanded Autism and Scouting page where we will list all our broadcasts future and past.If you know of anybody that you would like to see interviewed or you have a topic idea for a future broadcast, please let us know by emailing john@autismempowerment.org

Accept, Enrich, Inspire, Empower!

To learn more about Autism Empowerment, a 501(c)(3) public charity and to help financially support our Autism and Scouting Program, please visit:

About Me

The Mission of Autism and Scouting is to develop programs, projects, support and resources for all scouts on the Autism spectrum, their families, caregivers and scout leaders that promote acceptance, inclusion, support skills for life and support self-advocacy within a scouting program. We support all scouting programs in the US and around the world.